Are the 1950s coming back, asked a commentator in the New York Times, in five words summing the whole import of the handshake. Accidents like this don’t just happen because world leaders don’t stumble into serious blunders which can cost them their jobs.

All eyes are now on Kerry on how he would proceed with the Palestinian-Israeli file. Kerry is basking in the glory of his Iranian success, and though that success will give him plenty of moral courage and energy to push ahead with his Middle East peace plan, he is fully aware of the magnitude of the challenge ahead.

November 10, 2013 - It was Halloween ten days ago in the United States. Having spent the last 11 years in US custody at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, I've learned a fair amount about American culture. I understand that it is customary for people to dress up in masks and embrace different identities for a night. In Camp 5 at Guantanamo, the masks rarely come off.